A new coach’s viewpoint

In April, at the end of the season, Sheffield Steelers appointed a new Head Coach.
Aaron Fox spent almost all his playing career in Europe and after the 2018 season decided to concentrate on coaching full time. On a limited budget he took charge of Medvescak Zagreb until monetary problems caused their collapse.

I approached him when he was taken on as
Head Coach of Sheffield Steelers and he kindly answered a few questions for us.

Q.You have experience of
central European hockey, so will you bring that style of play to the Steelers
or go down the North American route?

A.I try not to decide
those things until I get a idea of what the market looks like. If you
look at my rosters from the past we have had, Finns, Czechs, Swedes, Canadiens,
Russians, and Americans. I am look for quality and truly believe at
the end of the day all the styles blend if they are character guys who value
winning

Q.What are your long term
objectives, a quick fix or a long term plan?

A.I obviously want to
get things turned around as quickly as possible. There are some key guys
on Multi year deals so we always want to work with a long term plan but am more
focused on getting the guys in that can help change things quickly

Q.Can you explain the plan you
have in mind for the type of team you wish to build. Ie: fast skating,
attacking, tough, defensive or something else?

A.We want to put a
team together that plays fast but more importantly is willing to play the game
the right way. I feel like chemistry is very important at this level and
getting guys to play for each other will be key. I want our guys to be creative
and make plays when we can but will expect them to make good smart decisions
when that opportunity isn’t there.

Q.Where do you see the biggest
need for improvement?

A.I think we need
more depth in our d core as I want our D to jump in the play and play an
aggressive style.

Q.You spent most of your time
playing in Europe, so how did you find it, lifestyle-wise, and what in
particular attracted you to Britain?

A.I have really
enjoyed my time in Europe. Its home to me now. I have been fortunate
enough to play and work in some unreal cities. My wife is German
and my two children have only lived over here and don’t know anything
else. My kids are really excited to be coming to the UK and live in an
English speaking country. This opportunity made a lot of sense from a career
and family point of view. I really wanted to be part of an organization
that’s expected to win and does things the right way behind the scenes.
Sheffield definitely checked all those boxes.

Q.In your opinion does a
netminder needs rotating throughout the season, to keep him fresh etc?

A.I think if you can
have two netminders that push each other there is obviously a benefit to
that. But I also understand that sometimes the budget in place makes you
make hard decisions and we will see where things go over the summer before
deciding on that

Q.What is your overall
impression of the organization and it fans now that you have had an opportunity
to settle in?

A.Very impressed with
both. I had done my due diligence on the organization during the
interview process and heard nothing but really good things. The fans from
what I have seen are very passionate and loyal. Can't wait to get things
started.

Q.How would you rate the EIHL
in comparison to leagues you have played and coached in?

A.I have watched a
lot of games now and it’s a good league. Definitely better then where it was
and its top teams would be very competitive in some other European leagues.

Q.Do you consider any existing
players to be suitable for what you want?

A.Obviously we have
announced the guys returning and am very excited by that core. We do have
a lot of holes to fill so it will be a busy summer. Will be very patient
to make sure we get it right.

Q.Will you be using 2 year
university deals to attract players such as first line snipers which Steelers
have missed of late?

A.That’s always a
great tool to have. Obviously the 2 year commitment makes it harder to
recruit for but already have some interest in the program and think we will
definitely get a couple of those deals done.

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